::c. Describe the following food-related illnesses and tell what you can do to help prevent each from happening:

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:::1. Salmonella enteritis

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:::2. Staphylococcal enteritis

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:::3. E. coli (Escherichia coli) enteritis

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:::4. Botulism

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:::5. Trichinosis

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:::6. Hepatitis

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:2. Do the following:

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::a. Illustrate for your counselor the food pyramid that fits you. Label the following food groups in the pyramid and how much of each you should eat each day:

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:::1. Grains

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:::2. Vegetables

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:::3. Fruits

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:::4. Milk, yogurt, cheese

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:::5. Meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts

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:::6. Oils (fats) and sugars

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::b. Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.

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::c. Explain the number of servings recommended per day from each group.

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::d. Give your counselor examples from each food group.

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::e. Describe for your counselor the measurements of servings for each food group.

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::f. Describe to your counselor food preparation techniques that result in more healthful and nutritious meals.

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:3. Plan a menu for two straight days (six meals) of camping. Include the following:

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::a. A camp dinner with soup; meat, fish, poultry, or an appropriate substitute; two fresh vegetables; drink; and dessert. All are to be properly prepared. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid.

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::b. A one-pot dinner. Use foods other than canned.

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::c. Using the menu planned for requirement 3, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed three or more boys.

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::d. List the utensils needed to cook and serve these meals.

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:4. Using the menu planned for requirement 3, do the following and discuss the process with your merit badge counselor:

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::a. Prepare and serve for yourself and two others, the two dinners, one lunch, and one breakfast. Time your cooking so that each course will be ready to serve at the proper time.*

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::b. For meals prepared in requirement 4a for which a fire is needed, use a lightweight stove or build a low-impact fire. Include support for your cooking utensils from rocks, logs, or like material. The same fireplace may be used for more than one meal. Use a backpacking stove to cook at least one meal. (Where local regulations do not allow you to do this, the counselor may change the requirement to meet the law.)

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::c. For each meal prepared in requirement 4a, use safe food-handling practices. Dispose of garbage, cans, foil, paper, and other rubbish by packing them out and depositing them in a proper container. After each meal, clean up the site thoroughly.

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:5. Plan a menu for one day (three meals) or for four meals over a two-day period of trail hiking or backpacking. Include the following:

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::a. A breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a trail or backpacking trip where light weight is important. You should be able to store all foods used for several days without refrigeration. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid.*

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::b. Using the menu planned for requirement 5, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed three or more boys.

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::c. List the utensils needed to cook and serve these meals.

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::d. Figure the weight of the foods in requirement 5a.

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:6. Using the menu planned for requirement 5, do the following:

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::a. Prepare and serve for yourself and two others, the trail breakfast and dinner. Time your cooking so that each course will be ready to serve at the proper time.

::c. For each meal prepared in requirement 6a, use safe food-handling practices. Dispose of garbage, cans, foil, paper, and other rubbish by packing them out and depositing them in a proper container. After each meal, clean up the site thoroughly.

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:7. Plan a menu for three full days of meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to be cooked at home.

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::a. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid. All meals are to be cooked or properly prepared.

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::b. Using the menu planned for requirement 7, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult).

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::c. Tell what utensils were needed to cook and serve these meals.

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::d. Prepare and serve a breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the menu you planned for requirement 7. Time your cooking to have each course ready to serve at the proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your counselor.

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:8. Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

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* The meals for requirements 4a and 5a may be prepared for different trips. They need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge at summer camp should plan around food they can get at the camp commissary.

Contents

Cooking requirements

Note: The meals prepared for Cooking merit badge requirements 4, 5, and 6 will count only toward fulfilling those requirements and will not count toward rank advancement or other merit badges. Meals prepared for rank advance¬ment or other merit badges may not count toward the Cooking merit badge. You must not repeat any menus for meals actually prepared or cooked in requirements 4, 5, and 6.

Health and safety. Do the following:

a. Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in cooking activities and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards.

b. Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur while preparing meals and eating, including burns and scalds, cuts, choking, and allergic reactions.

c. Describe how meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy products, and fresh vegetables should be stored, transported, and properly prepared for cooking. Explain how to prevent cross-contamination.

d. Discuss with your counselor food allergies, food intolerance, and food-related illnesses and diseases. Explain why someone who handles or prepares food needs to be aware of these concerns.

a. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, give five examples for EACH of the following food groups, the recommended number of daily servings, and the recommended serving size:

1. Fruits

2. Vegetables

3. Grains

4. Proteins

5. Dairy

b. Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.

c. Determine your daily level of activity and your caloric need based on your activity level. Then, based on the MyPlate food guide, discuss with your counselor an appropriate meal plan for yourself for one day.

d. Discuss your current eating habits with your counselor and what you can do to eat healthier, based on the MyPlate food guide.

e. Discuss the following food label terms: calorie, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar, protein. Explain how to calculate total carbohydrates and nutritional values for two servings, based on the serving size specified on the label.

Cooking basics. Do the following:

a. Discuss EACH of the following cooking methods. For each one, describe the equipment needed, how temperature control is maintained, and name at least one food that can be cooked using that method: baking, boiling, broiling, pan frying, simmering, steaming, microwaving, grilling, foil cooking, and use of a Dutch oven.

b. Discuss the benefits of using a camp stove on an outing vs. a charcoal or wood fire.

c. Describe with your counselor how to manage your time when preparing a meal so components for each course are ready to serve at the same time.

Cooking at home. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert. Your menu should include enough to feed yourself and at least one adult, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you kept your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals.

Then do the following:

a. Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.

c. Using at least five of the 10 cooking methods from requirement 3, prepare and serve yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult) one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert from the meals you planned. *

d. Time your cooking to have each meal ready to serve at the proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your counselor.

e. After each meal, ask a person you served to evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure a successful meal.

Camp cooking. Do the following:

a. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for your patrol (or a similar size group of up to eight youth, including you) for a camping trip. Your menu should include enough food for each person, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you keep your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. These five meals must include at least one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, AND at least one snack OR one dessert. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals.

b. Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.

d. In the outdoors, using your menu plan for this requirement, cook two of the five meals you planned using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire. Use a different cooking method from requirement 3 for each meal. You must also cook a third meal using either a Dutch oven OR a foil pack OR kabobs. Serve all of these meals to your patrol or a group of youth. **

e. In the outdoors, prepare a dessert OR a snack and serve it to your patrol or a group of youth.**

f. After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, and then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how planning and preparation help ensure successful outdoor cooking.

g. Explain to your counselor how you cleaned the equipment, utensils, and the cooking site thoroughly after each meal. Explain how you properly disposed of dishwater and of all garbage.

h. Discuss how you followed the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles when preparing your meals.

Trail and backpacking meals. Do the following:

a. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for trail hiking or backpacking that includes one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack. These meals must not require refrigeration and are to be consumed by three to five people (including you). Be sure to keep in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you will keep your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals.

b. Create a shopping list for your meals, showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.

c. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor. Your plan must include how to repackage foods for your hike or backpacking trip to eliminate as much bulk, weight, and garbage as possible.

d. While on a trail hike or backpacking trip, prepare and serve two meals and a snack from the menu planned for this requirement. At least one of those meals must be cooked over a fire, or an approved trail stove (with proper supervision).**

e. After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how planning and preparation help ensure successful trail hiking or backpacking meals.

f. Discuss how you followed the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles during your outing. Explain to your counselor how you cleaned any equipment, utensils, and the cooking site after each meal. Explain how you properly disposed of any dishwater and packed out all garbage.

Food-related careers. Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Select one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

*The meals for requirement 4 may be prepared on different days, and they need not be prepared consecutively. The requirement calls for Scouts to plan, prepare, and serve one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner to at least one adult; those served need not be the same for all meals.

**Where local regulations do not allow you to build a fire, the counselor may adjust the requirement to meet the law. The meals in requirements 5 and 6 may be prepared for different trips and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge in summer camp should take into consideration foods that can be obtained at the camp commissary.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:Boy Scout Requirements, 2016 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #621535)

The text of these requirements may be locked. In that case, they can only be edited by an administrator.Please note any errors found in the above requirements on this article's Talk Page.